USC women keep top spot in coaches' poll

The name of the school atop the latest Golf World/WGCA women's Division I coaches' poll should come as no surprise, USC claiming all 21 first-place votes after starting the 2013-14 season with an impressive comeback victory at the Dale McNamara Fall Preview.

However, take a look at the rest of the top 25 and you'll see a few new names and a few names occupying a few spots for the first time in school history.

* Oklahoma, runner-up at the Fall Preview, rose to No. 3, the highest
the Sooners have ever been ranked in the Golf World poll since it was
revived in 2001-02.

* Clemson, starting its inaugural season,
already claims the No. 11 spot in the poll, thanks to a runner-up finish
at the Cougar Classic. After voting closed the Tigers showed their
first impression wasn't a fluke when they finished second at the Lady
Paladin Invitational.

* Mississippi State also appears in the
poll for the first time in school history, settling in at No. 21 after
finishing fifth at the Cougar Classic.

* Kentucky jumps to No.
22, the highest the school has ever been ranked and the first time its
been in the top 25 since Oct. 2011.

Defending NCAA champion Lynn maintained its No. 1 ranking in the latest Golf World/WGCA Division II coaches' poll, earning 17 of the 25 available first-place votes. The Fighting Knights finished second in their season opener, the Lady Falcon Invitational.

Nova Southeastern, with four first-place votes, claimed the No. 2 spot while Barry rose to No. 3, receiving two first-place votes of its own.

Mary Hardin-Baylor hung on to the No. 1 ranking in the latest Golf World/WGCA Division III coaches' poll earning 12 of the 18 available first-place votes. It's the first time any school other than Methodist has been No. 1 in consecutive polls since Golf World and the WGCA teams up to publish the women's poll.